Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators have been used for many years in order to improve the accuracy and reduce the felt recoil of various types of firearms. Large caliber firearms, particularly handguns, experience substantial muzzle climb due to recoil during firing.
This recoil results from the fact that the barrel and chamber of the firearm are usually located at a point above the handgrip. As such, the firearm's pivot point is positioned substantially below the chamber from which the bullet is propelled. The impulse generated by the exiting bullet results in an equal and opposite impulse transmitted through the barrel back toward the shooter. Since the impulse is directed along a line above the handgrip, a moment about the grip pivot point is created. Hence, the firearm has a tendency to rotate about the pivot point, causing the muzzle to rise as the bullet is fired.
These reactive forces are illustrated generally in FIG. 1 for a firearm 20, which in this embodiment is a revolver 20. F1 is the reactive force generated by the firing of a round and F2 is the resultant muzzle climb force as a moment about the pivot point C in the grip 22 is generated in the firearm 20.
Muzzle climb is particularly pronounced in handguns, since one or both of the user's hands generally rest upon the single grip below the line of the chamber and barrel. Thus, unlike rifles wherein a second hand positioned further outboard upon the barrel helps to stabilize the climb, both hands in a handgun are concentrated at the pivot point. Absent significant hand strength, maintaining the muzzle of a high powered handgun in a straight line proves very difficult especially during rapid fire.
Muzzle brakes and compensators are designed, generally, to port part of the propulsion gases generated by the cartridge into a direction opposite that of the muzzle climb. As such, the gases act as a "retro rocket" to simultaneously propel the muzzle downwardly as the recoil forces it to climb upwardly. Compensator port size and direction allows the downward propulsive force of the muzzle brake to be relatively equalized to the impulse generated climbing force.
A disadvantage of many handguns, particularly revolvers, however, is that their barrels tend to be short and tend to include various strengthening structures (such as lugs and ribs) along their tops and bottoms. Hence, the attachment of a conventional muzzle brake to the end of the barrel proves difficult due to the absence of a smooth continuous attachment surface such as a threaded end. Additionally, conventional attachable muzzle brakes and compensators tend to distort the lines of the barrel resulting in a more awkward appearance and an increased probability that the barrel end will snag upon brush, holsters and the like.
One form of barrel structure, particularly for use with revolvers involves the use of an interchangeable cylindrical barrel surrounded by a removable shroud. FIG. 6 depicts a threaded barrel 24, barrel shroud 26 and shroud securing nut 28 assembly according to the prior art. The use of a barrel shroud 26 according to the prior art, provides a possible structure for forming an integral recoil compensator without the disadvantages described above.